For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
linda rodriquez
GOD created Adam and Eve because He wanted a family. It's as simple as that. Amen.
Larry Giuliani
When you say the following it seems to say that you know all of the possibilities that were at God'd disposal: "it must mean that the fall of mankind was part of God's sovereign plan from the beginning. No other answer makes sense given what we have been saying thus far.'"
I think the word "must" should be replaced with "may" in your comment. And you should revise the last sentence above with "No other answer makes sense to me, given what we have been saying thus far.'"
Knowing something is going to happen is not the same as planning for it to happen. Parents know their children are going to trip and skin their knees and bloody their noses, but no parent plans for that to happen. If they prevented it from happening, they would prevent the child from learning by the experience.
Stephen Farr
NOT all will be saved by Christ as this goes against what Jesus teaches. Why did Jesus call His disciples to be fishers of men? This goes against the doctrine of predestination where Jesus has called us before time. The new testament clearly states that the rich man died and went to hell, so he did not go to Heaven. Lazarus, who had also died, was across the gulf with Abraham. The rich man cried out that he wanted Lazarus to cool his tongue as he was on fire.
False teaching is to be avoided and rebuked. Sin is very real, and Jesus abhors it in every way.
John 3:16 states "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not die (ie everlasting damnation and torture in hell in complete isolation from God). It does not say all will believe otherwise Jesus would not have had to die for us as he would have accepted us all in our sin as fit for heaven , ABSOLUTELY NOT!
In Revelations it talks about the smoke from the tormented ones rising in front of The Almighty.
Joseph Trujillo
God already knows how it's going to end and He knows that He is Victorious. (Rev 20:10)
The fallen angel that is the devil, is a beast and as Genesis describes the serpent, which is a reptile. (Gen 3:1)
Danny Hickman
Steven Farr,
If you were as hot and thirsty as the rich man said he was, would you ask that someone dip their finger in water and come and touch your tongue, or would you ask for at least a cup of water? Does that not make you think differently about what the story means?
Daniel Veler
God knew all things. This may be hard to comprehend because we think as men. Let me share with you a few verses:
1 Peter 1: 19: But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
What Peter is telling us was Christ was foreordained to be the lamb without blemish before the foundation of this world. Meaning before anything was created, meaning before Adam or Eve came into existence, Christ was going to be our redeemer.
Ephesians 1: 3: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.
Here we see now what God means when he said to the Son, "Let us make man in our image." We are created in his image through and in Christ.
Colossians 3: 10: And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.
God has a divine plan to set up a kingdom based on love. We are created in his image. He set the path to receive his righteousness, and all those that come to him will be part of his kingdom.